Opponents: North Dakota-owned casinos would hurt tribes

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A change to the North Dakota Constitution allowing state-owned casinos will hurt American Indian gambling facilities and further erode relationships with tribes, opponents of the proposal told lawmakers Monday.

The proposal comes after months of protests of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline's disputed crossing under a Missouri River reservoir near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.

"Tribal and state relations are at an all-time low, so low that we are in a deficit, in the red," Ruth Buffalo, of Mandaree, told the House Judiciary Committee. "The state of North Dakota needs to be worrying about how they can fix relationships with tribes."

Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said the idea behind the proposed constitutional amendment is to establish casinos as "destination-oriented attractions" and use profits from them to lessen — or eliminate altogether — state sales tax and corporate income tax.

Read more: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/opponents-north-dakota-owned-casinos-would-hurt-tribes/article_ee1ea594-2439-54d5-a016-3ae1f0cfd68b.html